'Vilified In Congress': Former Punjab Minister, Ex-CM Parkash Badal's Nephew Manpreet Singh Joins BJP

Manpreet Singh Badal resigned from the primary membership of the Congress party and joined the BJP. He levelled several allegations in a resignation letter addressed to MP Rahul Gandhi.

New Delhi: Former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal on Wednesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party after he resigned from the primary membership of the Congress party. Joining the BJP in the presence of Union minister Piyush Goyal, Manpreet Singh, the nephew of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, attacked the Congress party and alleged that there are coteries within the grand old party.

One is made Leader of Opposition, another is made leader of the Legislative party and these coteries fight among themselves, he claimed.

"How can you operate with the party that's at war with itself? There are coteries. One is made LoP, another is made leader of the Legislative party and these coteries fight among themselves... Such situation is there in every state, that's Congress' condition," he said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

Manpreet Singh heaped praises on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and called him a "lion". A few days back I met a "Sher" and that is Amit Shah, Badal said.

"In politics, I have got few opportunities when I have met a 'Sher', a few days back I met a 'Sher' and that's India's Home minister Amit Shah. He said a heart-touching thing about Punjab that it has suffered 400 attacks for India...," he added.

"Vilified" For Failing To Display "Fiscal Recklessness": Manpreet Badal

The former Congress leader shared a letter addressed to MP Rahul Gandhi on Twitter. In the letter, he alleged that his work as Punjab's finance minister was not appreciated and on the contrary, he was "vilified" for failing to display "fiscal recklessness".

"The task of the Finance Minister of Punjab is never easy. I inherited an exchequer in shambles: it was truly on the brink of total collapse. I essentially had two options. I could
either choose to continue to ignore numerical realities and pursue populist policies - that would unequivocally exacerbate Punjab's problems to the point where a financial
emergency would be imminent - or I could accept the fact that difficult decisions were desperately needed, and assiduously adhere to fiscal discipline. I chose the latter," Manpreet Badal wrote.

"In doing so, I convincingly pleaded Punjab's case to the 15th Finance Commission and the GST Council, and prevailed upon them to treat the State favourably. I do not believe I am exaggerating in saying that I almost single-handedly succeeded in garnering an additional 50,000 crores for the state exchequer, which would not ordinarily have been acquired. However, far from being acknowledged or appreciated for my efforts. I was vilified in the Punjab Congress for failing to display what can only be described as fiscal recklessness," he added.

Manpreet Badal raised the issue of infighting within the grand old party by writing, "The coterie of men entrusted with the authority to dictate Delhi's writ to the Punjab unit of the Congress are far from sound."

"Instead of striving to reduce internal disagreement in an already divided house, these men acted to further increase factionalism, and almost as a matter of policy strengthened the very worst elements within the party," he alleged.

He stated that his decision to resign is "given the prevalent culture within the party and the defiant desire to persist in the present course."